Pakistan's parliament was dissolved by its president, Arif Alvi, upon the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif late Wednesday night (August 9). Alvi's office also said a general election would also be held as a result of the dissolution amid political and economic crises.
"Tomorrow [Wednesday], my government completes its term and after meeting constitutional norms, we will hand over the reins to the interim set-up," he said during an event at the headquarters of the country's powerful army.
The advice came three days ahead of the end of the parliament's five-year term, which expires on August 12, Reuters reported. This would be followed by a caretaker government, including a caretaker prime minister, picked by Sharif and an opposition leader in the outgoing parliament to hold new elections in 90 days.
Elections May Be Delayed, Analysts Say
However, the vote could be delayed by several months as the country's election commission is only set to start redrawing hundreds of constituencies based on a new census.
Analysts said the delay in the election could spark public anger and add to the uncertainty in the nuclear-capable country.
The previous general election happened in July 2018 and was won by the party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who has been at the heart of political turmoil since he was removed as prime minister in a no-confidence vote last year.
Since then, Pakistan's stability has been uncertain after Khan was convicted and jailed for graft charges. He was also barred from taking part in any election for five years.
Khan has accused the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan intermittently since independence in 1947, of being responsible for his ouster. The military has denied the charge.
He was replaced by Sharif, who himself has been facing a debilitating economic crisis and historically high inflation levels as the government implemented painful reforms to secure funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
